ALMS: Level 5 Withdraws From Lime Rock

SPEEDtv.com: AUTO-RACING 3 days ago

LMP2 competitors pull two-car entry for Lime Rock, ship Lola B11/40 Honda Spyder to Europe for action in the ILMC...There will two fewer prototypes on the grid at Lime Rock Park, as Level 5 Motorsports confirmed Monday that it has withdrawn from next... Full Article at SPEEDtv.com: AUTO-RACING

ALMS: Atherton Hopeful Of WEC Involvement

American Le Mans Series President/CEO aiming for Sebring and Petit Le Mans to be included in 2012 World Endurance Championship calendar...

John Dagys  |  Posted June 21, 2011   Chicago, IL

  

ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton is hopeful of the series again joining forces with the ACO's global sportscar championship for the Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans. (Photo: LAT)

With the ACO and FIA’s recent announcement of the World Endurance Championship, there’s certainly been questions surrounding the schedule of the new-look global sportscar series, which evolves from the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup beginning in 2012.

Seven rounds have been confirmed for the WEC, comprising of two events each in Europe, Asia and the Americas, plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will remain the cornerstone of the season-long championship. But beyond the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic, the ACO has yet to name specific venues.

READ: World Endurance Championship Launched

While the European-based Le Mans Series is poised to hold standalone races next year, separate from the WEC, American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton is hopeful that its two signature events, the Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, will be part of the World Championship in 2012.

“I continue to be optimistic and supportive of the plans that were announced,” Atherton told SPEED.com. “I think we have a way forward that’s going to provide what we need to make sure that the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron continues to thrive and also incorporates the WEC into our agenda.”

Atherton said he had two “very productive” meetings with the ACO at Le Mans a few weeks ago, with further conference calls and emails having been exchanged since then. While the new FIA branding has certainly brought added attention, Atherton doesn’t expect it to bring new challenges in terms of scheduling.

The FIA World Endurance Championship was officially announced during race week at Le Mans. (Photo: Brecht Decancq)

One concern, though, has come with the WEC’s rapid growth and what effect it could have on the Le Mans-branded continental series. Launched as a three-race pilot series in 2010, the ILMC grew into a seven-round championship this year, attracting teams from around the world, including U.S.-based squads Level 5 Motorsports and Krohn Racing.

With additional American teams evaluating possible programs in 2012, including Corvette Racing and current GRAND-AM outfit Dempsey Racing, Atherton doesn’t necessarily want the new-found interest of the World Championship to put a dent in the car count and visibility of the ALMS.

“Our position hasn’t changed,” Atherton said. “We are going to be aggressive in our defense in what we’ve spent the last 14 years building and developing. What we don’t want to have is a situation where the success of the World Endurance Championship comes at the expense of the American Le Mans Series.

“That’s what the focus of our discussions with the ACO are. Thankfully, those feelings are mutual. It’s in the best interest of the ACO to have a healthy American Le Mans Series as well.”

It appears the Patrick Peter-run Le Mans Series could be taking a different approach to the ALMS next year. The LMS is likely to move away from shared races with the WEC, partly because of oversubscribed grids.

Six registered full-season LMS entrants could be turned away from next weekend’s Six Hours of Imola, the second of three combined LMS/ILMC races this year, due to exceeding the circuit’s 53-car limit. ILMC entries have taken priority, according to the ACO.

While there could also be more radical changes to the LMS next year, including the elimination of the LMP1 category and shortened races, Atherton doesn’t anticipate any issues accommodating the grid for this year’s Petit Le Mans, the second and final joint ALMS/ILMC event of the season, which is likely to bring in upwards of 60 entries.

With the WEC schedule set to be confirmed in September by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, it’s still early days for both sides as they continue to iron out a stable plan to benefit both the ALMS and budding WEC.

“As is the case with anything like this that’s new and going through it for the first time, there’s going to be some bumps in the road,” Atherton said. “There’s going to be some toes that get stepped on. But the strength of our relationship with the ACO is what enables us to manage through these things.”

Would you like to see the World Endurance Championship be a part of the Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans? Or would you prefer another circuit in North or South America? Add a comment below.

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at askdagys@gmail.com

ALMS: Level 5 Withdraws From Lime Rock

Lone LMP2 competitors pull two-car entry for Lime Rock, ships Lola B11/40 Honda Spyder to Europe for action in the ILMC...

John Dagys  |  Posted June 21, 2011   Chicago, ILLevel 5 Motorsports' U.S.-based Lola B11/40 Honda will be shipped to Italy for competition in next weekend's Six Hours of Imola. (Photo: John Dagys)

There will be two fewer prototypes on the grid at Lime Rock Park, as Level 5 Motorsports confirmed Tuesday that it has withdrawn from next month’s Northeast Grand Prix, the third round of the American Le Mans Series.

With its pair of Lola-Hondas having been the only LMP2 cars in its class, combined with a tight turnaround time from the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup Six Hours of Imola the week prior, the Scott Tucker-owned squad has decided to focus its prototype efforts around the upcoming ILMC round.

“With the numerous ACO rules changes that have come together over the past month or so, and having to switch cars for the Imola race, logic dictated that we’d not attend Lime Rock,” team manager David Stone told SPEED.com. “It’s a combination of all the ingredients that bring us to this point that the right thing to do is to focus on Imola and not go to Lime Rock.”

The team suffered a blow in last month’s 1000km of Spa, when one of its two Lola B11/80 Honda’s was destroyed in a high-speed accident. Having been forced to revert to its second Lola-Honda Coupe for Le Mans, intended for use in the entire nine-round ALMS schedule, it left them with only its open-top Lola B11/40 Honda to compete in the States.

But a recent rules change from the ACO, which has given cost-capped LMP2 cars a larger fuel flow restrictor, to go along with the car’s already larger air restrictor compared to grandfathered chassis, has resulted in Level 5 electing to put its Lola-Honda Spyder into use for the upcoming ILMC round. The team’s Lola-Honda Coupes are built to 2010-specification.

“We’re moving the Spyder from the U.S. to Italy so we are as competitive as we can be at Imola,” said team owner/driver Scott Tucker. “Our goal is to get as many points as possible while up against the dominating Oreca-Nissan package. It would be impossible for us to have the Spyder back in the States logistically and race-prepped with a fresh crew for Lime Rock.”

Level 5 currently sits second in the ILMC LMP2 Teams’ Championship following its podium finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With 13 cars entered for Imola, there’s no shortage of competition in the global sportscar championship, unlike the current situation in the ALMS prototype ranks.

Tucker and Christophe Bouchut currently hold a 16-point lead over teammate Luis Diaz in the ALMS Drivers’ Championship as the only registered full-season entrant.

With Level 5's withdrawal, there are no LMP2 cars entered for Lime Rock. Additional entries are expected in time for the Petit Le Mans, which will also serve as the penultimate round of the ILMC.

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at askdagys@gmail.com

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insidemoto: I uploaded a @YouTube videohttp://youtu.be/76NDqrsF0Dk #Level5 Earns 3rd Place Podium Finish at #LeMans... http://ow.ly/1dd1qO

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Michelin ALMS Teams Star at 24 Hours of Le Mans

Audi, Corvette Racing Win; Level 5 and Robertson on Podium

Release Date: 06/17/2011  La Sarthe, France
Michelin and its technical partner teams, including those from the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), made history in the 79th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans June 11-12 in Le Mans, France.

Using an unprecedented quintuple stint (five fuel loads without a tire change) at a critical stage of the race, the Audi R18 TDI prototype of Benoit Treluyer, Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer delivered a record 14th consecutive overall race win for Michelin.

Turning a massive 55 laps of the 8.462-mile circuit while being chased by a trio of factory Peugeot prototypes, Treluyer gained the lead and then held it for an intense 3 hours and 20 minutes on the same set of MICHELIN^® tires. By foregoing tire changes, he saved approximately 20 seconds at each stop without sacrificing performance. “My MICHELIN tires gave me great grip from the word go, and I was able to lap at a sufficiently quick pace to defend our lead. I was still in position where I could push hard at the very end of my fifth stint,” said Treluyer.

The consistency and extended wear of MICHELIN tires also paid huge dividends for Corvette Racing. The Le Mans GTE-Pro category champions were able to triple stint their MICHELIN tires while recording their fastest laps at the end of their nearly three-hour stints. Oliver Gavin turned in a 41-lap triple stint with his best time on his 40th lap aboard the #74 Corvette Racing ZR1, leading the race at the time. Teammate Antonio Garcia reset his best time on each of the three consecutive final laps of his triple stint in the race-winning #73 Corvette. He then handed off to American Tommy Milner, who turned in his own triple stint.

Meanwhile, Scott Tucker’s Wisconsin-based Level 5 Motorsports claimed a top-ten finish and a spot on the LMP2 class podium. Tucker’s Honda-powered Lola was co-driven with Christophe Bouchut and Joao Barbosa.

Wrapping up a magical first entry at Le Mans, Michigan’s David and Andrea Robertson claimed a podium finish in the GTE-Am class with co-driver David Murry.

The ALMS series GT champions from Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche saw their bid for both GTE-Pro and GTE-Am podiums disappear with mechanical problems after strong runs by both cars.

“We are very pleased to see our MICHELIN tires and technologies help our technical partners succeed at the world’s most prestigious endurance race, Le Mans,” said Silvia Mammone, Michelin motorsports manager. “We are delighted to continue the Michelin record of overall success with our longtime partners Audi and Corvette, and to see newcomers Level 5 Motorsports and Robertson Racing achieve podiums in their first visits to Le Mans.”

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs more than 21,400 and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.

Michelin ALMS Teams Star at 24 Hours of Le Mans

18/06/2011 03:43 (2 Day 00:45 minutes ago) Using an unprecedented quintuple stint (five fuel loads without a tire change) at a critical stage of the race, the Audi R18 TDI prototype of Benoit Treluyer, Marcel Fassler and Andre Lotterer delivered a record 14th consecutive overall race win for Michelin. Turning a massive 55 laps of the 8.462-mile circuit while being chased by a trio of factory Peugeot prototypes, Treluyer gained the lead and then held it for an intense 3 hours and 20 minutes on the same set of MICHELIN® tires. By foregoing tire changes, he saved approximately 20 seconds at each stop without sacrificing performance. “My MICHELIN tires gave me great grip from the word go, and I was able to lap at a sufficiently quick pace to defend our lead. I was still in position where I could push hard at the very end of my fifth stint,” said Treluyer. The consistency and extended wear of MICHELIN tires also paid huge dividends for Corvette Racing. The Le Mans GTE-Pro category champions were able to triple stint their MICHELIN tires while recording their fastest laps at the end of their nearly three-hour stints. Oliver Gavin turned in a 41-lap triple stint with his best time on his 40th lap aboard the #74 Corvette Racing ZR1, leading the race at the time. Teammate Antonio Garcia reset his best time on each of the three consecutive final laps of his triple stint in the race-winning #73 Corvette. He then handed off to American Tommy Milner, who turned in his own triple stint. Meanwhile, Scott Tucker’s Wisconsin-based Level 5 Motorsports claimed a top-ten finish and a spot on the LMP2 class podium. Tucker’s Honda-powered Lola was co-driven with Christophe Bouchut and Joao Barbosa. Wrapping up a magical first entry at Le Mans, Michigan’s David and Andrea Robertson claimed a podium finish in the GTE-Am class with co-driver David Murry. The ALMS series GT champions from Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche saw their bid for both GTE-Pro and GTE-Am podiums disappear with mechanical problems after strong runs by both cars. “We are very pleased to see our MICHELIN tires and technologies help our technical partners succeed at the world’s most prestigious endurance race, Le Mans,” said Silvia Mammone, Michelin motorsports manager. “We are delighted to continue the Michelin record of overall success with our longtime partners Audi and Corvette, and to see newcomers Level 5 Motorsports and Robertson Racing achieve podiums in their first visits to Le Mans.” Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle.

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